Syracuse, NY – Whenever the Cicero-North Syracuse women’s football team allows a goal, a familiar chant rings out from the Northstars.
“Two minutes,” they shout.
The reminder is brief but important. It’s a mental note to stay focused and not let the opponent use their confidence to build momentum for another score.
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“Forget it and keep playing. Two minutes is usually when if you score again against a team that’s when it will happen because they feel so good, ”said the senior midfielder from C -NS. Shannon Anderson.
This simple strategy has worked well for the Northstars 9-0 this year. Their focus has been one of the main reasons the team have conceded just three goals in their first nine games.
Of course, the abundance of skill set in the team at that end of the pitch is an even bigger factor in this stinginess. Anderson has been one of C-NS’s most consistent anchors, making efforts that have earned him SOS Spotlight Athlete of the Week honors.
The defense doesn’t have the garish stats that add up for flashy goal scorers, but Anderson and his teammates know they’re getting the job done when they watch the final score.
“To win, you have to be able to keep goals low. It also lowers morale when the other team scores on you. So if you keep a shutout it decreases the confidence of the other team and increases yours because you were able to keep all the goals clear, ”she said. “For me, I watch it (success) because I pass the ball to my attackers quickly and efficiently and do I win the ball in the air? Looks like we are trying hard to defend or do we defend them easily and get the ball back? “
Anderson once thought he was his team’s last line of defense. She played goalie in her youth, but gave up on that plan once she saw how shooters improved as her career progressed.
“I liked the goalie. But I feel like I got more involved when I was in the field. Eventually when kids get really good at taking pictures, I don’t want to be in front of it, ”she said.
Anderson said she sometimes thought about taking a shot or two during the game, but couldn’t afford to dream for long. C-NS has become a big favorite in the section in large part because of his ruthless defense, and Anderson knows that if that mentality softens even for two minutes, the whole season can change.
“I think if we keep going up and focusing on winning and winning the teams and what we’re supposed to be doing on the pitch, the results will work out on their own,” she said. declared.
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